Sardis  Church 


A  Historical  Sketch 


Read  at  the  Centennial 
of  the  Church 


BY 

REV.  J.  K.  HALL 


\ 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive' 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/sardischurchhistOOhall 


Historical  Sketch  Sardis  Ghurch 


NE  HUNDRED  years  ago  yesterday— May  the  5th, 
18 16 — a  little  band  of  Christians  gathered  in  their 
house  of  worship  near  the  banks  of  the  Little  River, 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  this  place,  across  the 
ravine  from  what  we  now  know  as  Old  Sardis  Church,  to  organize 
themselves  into  a  Presbyterian  church.  At  that  time,  the  United 
States  had  been  enjoying  independence  a  little  over  thirty-two 
years.  James  Madison,  the  fourth  President  of  the  United  States, 
was  in  office.  The  second  war  with  England  had  only  recently 
been  brought  to  an  honorable  close,  and  the  people  were  re- 
joicing over  the  return  of  peace.  The  aged  George  the  Third  was 
still  upon  the  throne  of  England.  The  preceding  summer  the 
battle  of  Waterloo  had  been  fought,  and  Napoleon  had  been  sent 
to  St.  Helena  to  end  his  days. 

Though  the  little  band  gathered  in  their  house  of  worship 
one  hundred  years  ago  were  living  in  stirring  times,  conditions 
then  were  very  different  from  what  they  are  today.  A  mere 
glance  will  show  this.  Ocean-going  steamers  were  unknown. 
The  sail  boat,  with  its  discomforts,  disease,  and  frightful  mor- 
tality, requiring  months  to  cross  the  Atlantic,  was  the  only  means 
of  communication  between  Europe  and  America.  Railroads  had 
not  been  thought  of.  The  ordinary  mode  of  travel  was  on  horse- 
back. The  only  vehicle  was  the  two-wheeled  gig,  used  mostly  by 
ministers.  A  trip  from  North  Carolina  to  Philadelphia  consumed 
three  weeks.  There  was  no  telegraph,  no  cable,  no  telephone. 
Peace  between  England  and  the  United  States  was  signed  Decem- 
ber 24,  1814.  On  January  8,  181 5,  the  battle  of  New  Orleans 
was  fought  by  General  Jackson,  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  fact 
that  peace  had  already  been  concluded.  It  was  not  until  a  month 
after  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  that  the  news  of  peace  became 
known  in  America.  There  was  no  cotton  gin.  Every  pound  of 
cotton  was  seeded  by  hand.  Instead  of  carrying  fancy  work 
with  them  when  visiting,  ladies  carried  little  bags  of  cotton,  and 
while  enjoying  a  social  day,  picked  the  seed  from  the  lint.  Farm 
implements  were  of  the  most  primitive  kind.    The  only  plows 


used  were  boards  tipped  with  iron.  The  clothes  worn  by  master 
and  servant  were  made  from  cloth  woven  by  hand.  The  most 
cultivated  ladies  of  the  time  were  known  to  have  woven  their  own 
wedding  dresses.  Weaving  was  a  fine  art,  and  was  not  beneath 
the  dignity  of  cultivated  people.  The  nearest  postoffice  was  Fay- 
etteville, and  the  community  was  thought  very  fortunate  in  having 
a  postofnce  so  near.  Church  privileges  were  meagre.  The  only 
churches  at  that  time  in  this  section  of  country  were  Fayetteville, 
Bluff,  Barbecue,  Averasboro,  and  Tirzah,  the  last  organized  only 
five  years  previously.  From  Fayetteville  to  Tirzah,  from  Bluff 
to  Barbecue,  there  was  no  church.  No  wonder  this  little  band 
determined  to  organize  their  own  church. 

It  would  be  very  interesting  if  we  could  roll  back  a  hundred 
years  and  see  that  little  band  of  worshipers  gathered  for  the 
purpose  of  organizing  themselves  into  a  Presbyterian  church. 
The  appearance  of  the  assemblage  would  be  very  amusing  to  us 
in  its  quaint  dress.  But,  if  they  were  quaintly  dressed,  they 
were  pure  in  heart  and  sound  in  theology.  This  is  clearly  seen 
in  the  paper  adopted  at  the  organization  of  the  church.  This 
paper  is  of  such  interest  that  I  incorporate  it  here : 

"  'Man's  chief  business  in  this  world  is  to  prepare  for  a 
better.'  Our  bodies  are  perishable,  and  will  soon  moulder  in  the 
dust ;  but  our  souls  are  immortal,  and  will  live  forever.  Although 
our  souls  and  bodies  are  united  at  this  time,  the  period  is  fast 
approaching  when  a  separation  must  take  place  between  them, 
and  our  souls  must  be  consigned  either  to  everlasting  happiness 
or  to  eternal  misery.  To  ascertain  to  which  of  these  two  ever- 
lasting abodes  we  are  hastening — for  which  of  these  eternal 
conditions  we  are  meet — we  must  have  recourse  to  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  through  which  life  and  immortality  are  brought  to 
light.  The  means  of  grace  are  calculated  to  inspire  the  hope  of 
glory.  The  Scriptures,  eminently  styled  the  Word  of  God,  are 
able,  through  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  to  make  us  wise  unto  salva- 
tion. Through  the  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  the  reading 
of  His  Holy  Word,  and  especially  the  preaching  of  it,  is  made 
perfectly  efficacious  in  convincing  and  converting  sinners,  and  in 
leading  them  up  in  holiness  and  comfort  through  faith  unto 
salvation.  The  administration  of  God's  ordinances,  and  especially 
the  sacraments  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper,  is  also  made 
effectual  by  the  help  of  God  and  the  working  of  His  Spirit,  to 


Page  Two 


the  everlasting  salvation  of  all  those  who  by  faith  receive  them. 
Feeling  a  deep  conviction  of  these  important  and  soul-interesting 
truths,  and  cherishing  an  earnest  and  longing  desire  to  live  con- 
stantly and  habitually  under  the  influence  of  such  conviction,  we, 
the  subscribers,  initiated  into  Christ's  Church  and  dedicated  to 
God  at  an  early  period  of  our  life  by  the  sacred  ordinance  of 
baptism,  but  residing  at  this  time  further  than  we  deem  con- 
venient from  any  regularly  constituted  church  of  Christ,  formed 
on  the  plan  which  we  consider  warranted  by  the  Word  of  God, 
do  hereby  agree  to  form  ourselves  into  a  Christian  society  for 
the  purpose  of  regularly  uniting  in  the  public  worship  of  God 
and  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  ordinances  of  His  house.  And 
believing  that  the  doctrines  taught  and  the  regulations  adopted  in 
the  Presbyterian  Church  are  all  recognized  in  the  standards  of 
unerring  truth,  we  do  by  this  solemn  act  connect  ourselves  with 
that  body  of  Christians,  desiring  to  partake  with  them  of  the 
privilege  of  being  publicly  recognized  as  a  constituent  part  of 
Christ's  Church  militant.  To  this  end,  we  hereby  associate  our- 
selves together  as  a  church  of  Christ,  to  be  known  henceforth 
by  the  name  of  'The  Sardis  Presbyterian  Church,  in  the  County 
of  Cumberland  and  State  of  North  Carolina' ;  and,  on  behalf  of 
ourselves  and  our  respective  families,  we  solemnly  and  sincerely 
agree  to  the  following  articles,  viz : 

"ist.  We  believe  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments to  be  the  Word  of  God,  the  only  infallible  rule  of  faith 
and  practice. 

"2ndly.  We  sincerely  receive  and  adopt  the  Confession  of 
Faith  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of 
America  as  containing  the  system  of  doctrine  taught  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures. 

"3rdly.  We  agree  to  yield  Christian  subjection  in  the  Lord, 
according  to  the  principles  laid  down  in  said  Confession  of  Faith, 
to  the  church  session,  composed  of  such  regularly  ordained  min- 
ister and  ruling  elders  as  we  shall  ourselves  choose,  for  the 
purpose  of  exercising  regular  and  salutary  discipline  over  us, 
reserving  to  ourselves  in  cases  where  we  may  judge  it  necessary 
the  privilege  of  appealing  from  the  decision  of  such  session  to 
that  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery;  from  the  decision  of  said  Pres- 
bytery to  that  of  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina;  and  from  the 
decision  of  said  Synod  to  that  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 

Page  Three 


Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America.  And  in 
testimony  of  our  hearty  acquiescence  in  each  and  all  of  the 
aforegoing  articles  and  in  the  truths  asserted  in  the  preamble, 
we  do  hereunto  subscribe  our  names  in  the  County  of  Cumber- 
land and  the  State  of  North  Carolina,  this  fifth  day  of  May  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixteen." 
A  number  of  things  are  evident  from  this  paper : 

1.  There  was  already  a  place  of  worship  before  the  organi- 
zation of  the  church.  These  articles  state  that  the  people  were 
assembled  in  their  house  of  worship.  A  building  had  been 
erected  and  worship  maintained  prior  to  May  5,  1816.  How  long 
a  place  of  worship  had  been  maintained  prior  to  the  organization 
of  the  church  perhaps  no  one  now  knows. 

2.  The  church  was  not  organized  as  Presbyterian  churches 
usually  are.  It  is  customary  to  petition  Presbytery  to  organize  a 
church.  These  people  organized  themselves,  and  then  offered 
to  place  themselves  under  the  authority  of  Fayetteville  Presby- 
tery on  certain  conditions. 

3.  The  people  were  thoroughly  orthodox.  The  Westminster 
Confession  of  Faith  is  not  sounder  theology  than  the  articles 
signed  at  the  organization  of  the  church. 

4.  The  people  were  exceedingly  jealous  of  their  rights.  "We 
agree,"  said  they,  "to  yield  Christian  subjection  in  the  Lord  to 
a  church  session  composed  of  such  regularly  ordained  minister 
and  ruling  elders  as  we  ourselves  shall  choose,  reserving  to  our- 
selves the  privilege  of  appealing  from  the  decision  of  such  session 
to  that  of  the  Presbyter)^  of  Fayetteville,  from  the  decision  of 
said)  Presbytery  to  that  of  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina,  and 
from  the  decision  of  said  Synod  to  that  of  the  General  Assembly 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  United  States  of  America." 
Those  who  had  suffered  religious  tyranny  in  the  old  world  were 
determined  not  to  suffer  a  repetition  in  the  new. 

The  record  proceeds :  "The  aforegoing  articles  and  pre- 
amble were  signed  by  twenty-seven  persons,  sixteen  of  whom 
were  communicants ;  the  remaining  eleven  had  never  come  to 
the  Lord's  table,  but  had,  in  common  with,  the  others,  received 
initiation  into  the  Church  of  Christ  in  their  infancy  by  the  sacred 
ordinance  of  baptism.  The  communing  members  were:  Wm. 
L.  Walker,  Jerusia  Walker,  Allan  McLean,  Mary  McLean, 
James  Watson,  Jane  Watson,  Elizabeth  Watson,  Roderick  Mor- 


Page  Four 


ison,  Isabella  Morison,  Janet  Philips,  Duncan  Munroe,  Mary 
Elliot,  Mary  Williams,  Ann  Thompson,  Archibald  Campbell,  and 
Sally  Campbell.  The  non-communing  members  were :  Angus 
Philips,  Flora  Philips,  Daniel  Smith,  John  McDougald,  Catharine 
McDougald,  Alexander  Walker,  Alexander  Williams,  Charity 
Williams,  Hector  McLean,  Penelope  Morison,  and  John  Thomp- 
son." All  of  these  have  long  gone  to  their  reward,  even  the  names 
of  many  of  them  have  vanished  from  the  community,  yet  it  be- 
hooves us  to  bow  our  heads  in  grateful  remembrance  of  these 
men  and  women  of  profound  faith  and  sturdy  independence. 

While  these  twenty-seven  formed  themselves  into  a  Presby- 
terian church,  they  did  not  proceed  to  the  election  of  officers 
until  the  7th  of  July.  On  that  date,  W.  L.  Walker  and  Duncan 
Munroe  were  elected  elders.  On  August  4th,  Duncan  Munroe 
declined  to  serve  as  elder.  On  Sunday,  the  first  day  of  Septem- 
ber, W.  L.  Walker  was  solemnly  ordained  to  the  office  of  elder. 
On  August  3,  1817,  the  congregation  proceeded  to  do  an  unusual 
thing.  They  elected  John  McNeill,  a  member  of  the  Bluff 
Church,  an  elder  in  Sardis  Church,  and  appointed  Rev.  Colin 
Mclver  to  confer  with  the  Bluff  Church  with  a  view  of  having 
Mr.  McNeill  dismissed  to  Sardis  Church,  that  he  might  become 
an  elder.  These  efforts  were  successful,  and  on  August  17, 
1817,  John  McNeill  was  ordained  an  elder  in  Sardis  Church. 
The  church  was  now  fully  organized  for  work. 

The  first  to  minister  to  the  church  was  Rev.  Colin  Mclver, 
who  was  clearly  instrumental  in  organizing  the  church.  This 
remarkable  man  was  a  native  of  Scotland,  and  spoke  Gaelic  as 
readily  as  he  did  English.  This  ability  was  used  to  good  pur- 
pose, for  to  many  highlanders  he  brought  the  gospel  message  in 
their  native  tongue.  He  was  a  man  of  cultured  mind,  strong 
conviction,  great  learning,  and  much  missionary  zeal.  For  more 
than  thirty  years  he  was  Stated  Clerk  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery 
and  of  the  Synod  of  North  Carolina,  and  for  many  years  was  a 
dominant  influence  in  both  courts.  He  was  prodigiously  active, 
and  made  himself  felt  in  almost  every  line  of  religious  work. 
Today,  this  unusual  man  is  remembered  by  a  single  eccentricity, 
his  absent-mindedness.  It  is  sad  to  think  how  soon  energy,  great 
ability,  and  high  character  are  forgotten,  while  a  mere  eccen- 
tricity lingers  in  the  minds  of  men. 

Mr.  Mclver  ministered  to  Sardis  for  about  five  years.  Dur- 

Page  Five 


ing  these  years  the  church  seemingly  made  little  progress.  Some 
of  the  records  are  lost,  but  those  we  have  indicate  little  growth. 
On  March  i,  1818,  Mr.  Hector  McNeill  was  received  into  the 
church  on  profession  of  faith.  There  may  have  been  other  ac- 
cessions, but,  if  so,  the  records  have  been  lost. 

Mr.  Mclver's  ministry  closed  in  1821.  Then  follows  the  most 
dismal  era  in  the  history  of  the  church.  The  church  had  either 
been  greatly  weakened  or  else  it  had  grown  careless  and  indif- 
ferent. For  several  years  we  find  this  pathetic  record  on  the 
minutes  of  Fayetteville  Presbytery:  "Sardis,  vacant — not  able 
to  support  a  pastor." 

However,  this  melancholy  period  came  to  an  end  in  1826, 
when  the  ministry  of  Rev.  Allan  McDougald  was  secured.  He 
proved  to  be  the  right  man  in  the  right  place.  In  some  respects 
he  was  the  very  opposite  of  Mr.  Mclver.  He  did  not  have  the 
profound  learning  and  great  ability  of  his  predecessor,  and  had  at 
one  time  a  glaring  weakness,  yet  he  was  a  man  of  excellent 
ability;  brave,  courageous,  and  full  of  zeal,  with  a  tender  and 
loving  heart.  He  easily  won  the  love  of  his  people  and  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  his  brethren.  Dr.  Neill  McKay  speaks  of 
him  with  great  tenderness  as  "McDougald,  my  preacher  and 
predecessor."  Born  in  Moore  County,  reared  at  Cameron  Hill, 
now  Harnett  County,  he  spent  his  whole  life  in  the  same  general 
section,  ministering  to  one  or  more  of  the  following  churches 
throughout  his  life:  Bluff,  Averasboro,  Sardis,  Barbecue,  Mt. 
Pisgah,  and  Tirzah,  his  home  being  about  a  mile  east  of  Harnett 
station,  in  Harnett  County.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  Fay- 
etteville Presbytery,  and  is  spoken  of  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Synod 
of  North  Carolina  as  one  of  the  young  Scotch  preachers  who  had 
done  so  much  for  religion  in  eastern  North  Carolina.  In  1844  he 
rested  from  his  labors,  and  lies  buried  in  the  Mills  graveyard, 
near  Murchison's  Mill. 

Unfortunately,  the  records  of  the  greater  part  of  the  ministry 
of  Mr.  McDougald  are  lost.  We  have  no  records  until  1835, 
when  Joel  Williams  became  clerk  of  the  session.  But,  while 
we  have  no  records,  it  is  evident  that  during  this  ministry  there 
had  been  marked  growth  in  the  church.  In  1826  the  church  was 
weak  and  discouraged;  in  1835  it  was  vigorous  and  hopeful.  In 
1825  there  were  but  two  elders,  W.  L.  Walker  and  John  Mc- 
Neill ;  in  1835  there  were  six  strong  elders  in  the  session,  W.  L. 


Page  Sir 


Walker,  John  McNeill,  Jas.  A.  Thompson,  Joel  Williams,  John 
Elliot,  and  Henry  Elliot,  half  of  this  session  clearly  having  been 
received  during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  McDougald.  During  this 
ministry,  too,  the  large  church,  now  known  as  Old  Sardis  Church, 
was  built.  In  1835,  John  Elliot  and  his  wife,  Mary,  were  dis- 
missed to  help  found  the  China  Grove  Church,  Mr.  Elliot  being 
elected  an  elder  in  that  church,  which  he  served  with  great 
fidelity  and  ability. 

In  1838,  Rev.  Evander  McNair  succeeded  Rev.  Allan  Mc- 
Dougald. Born  in  Robeson  County  of  Scotch  parents,  licensed 
in  1832,  he  came  to  Sardis  when  his  unusual  powers  were  ripen- 
ing into  maturity.  He  was  an  ideal  herald  of  the  cross.  Tall, 
even  majestic  in  appearance,  courageous,  sincere  and  noble  in 
heart,  of  apostolic  zeal,  his  delight  was  to  preach  the  gospel,  and 
the  gospel  he  preached  went  to  the  hearts  of  men.  His  lifelong 
friend,  Dr.  McKay,  says :  "His  pulpit  was  his  throne,"  and  few 
earthly  monarchs  ever  graced  their  thrones  as  he  did  his  pulpit. 
For  fifty-three  years  he  was  permitted  to  be  an  active  herald  of 
the  cross ;  thirty-one  years  he  gave  to  his  native  State,  and 
twenty-two  years  he  gave  to  Texas,  Arkansas,  and  Alabama, 
when  the  fields  in  those  States  were  white  to  the  harvest,  reaping 
as  his  reward  great  harvests  of  souls.  In  his  old  age,  he  came 
back  to  his  native  State  to  die,  and  now  lies  buried  in  Lebanon 
cemetery.  This  ministry  lasted  for  a  period  of  five  years,  and 
was  marked  by  great  spiritual  activity.  There  were  constant 
additions  to  the  churcr^  on  profession  of  faith.  His  ministry 
seems  specially  to  have  gone  home  to  the  slave  population. 
Great  numbers  of  them  connected  themselves  with  the  church 
under  his  preaching.  Among  the  additions  to  the  church  among 
the  white  people  we  note  the  following :  James  P.  Hodges,  Wm. 
McDougald,  Bryant  Byrd,  Daniel  McNeill,  Kenneth  Murchison, 
Flora  Ann  Cooby,  Margaret  Baker,  and  Caroline  Campbell.  In 
1842,  Joel  Williams,  an  honored  elder,  and  Catharine,  his  wife, 
were  dismissed  to  the  Bluff  Church.  In  the  same  year,  Mrs. 
Mary  Williams  left  a  legacy  of  $200  to  the  church,  a  testimony 
to  her  goodness  of  heart,  but  a  perplexing  problem  to  the  church. 
That  legacy  was  a  veritable  white  elephant.  For  the  next  few 
years  the  church  seems  to  have  spent  more  energy  in  trying  to 
preserve  and  safeguard  that  $200  than  in  any  other  line  of  work. 

In  1844,  Dr.  Neill  McKay,  a  man  of  unusual  ability,  great 

Page  Seven 


decision  and  firmness  of  character,  an  able  debater  and  a  dom- 
inant influence  in  his  Presbytery  for  many  years,  a  profound  and 
convincing  preacher,  became  pastor.  Born  at  "Flint  Hill,"  Har- 
nett County,  he  spent  his  whole  life  in  his  native  county.  His 
ministry,  extending  over  a  period  of  fifty-two  years,  was  largely 
to  the  congregations  of  Summerville,  Sardis,  and  Buffalo.  Many 
of  those  present  today  will  remember  his  commanding  presence. 
Dr.  McKay's  pastorate  at  Sardis  extended  over  a  period  of  seven 
years,  and  was  specially  marked  by  efforts  to  maintain  discipline, 
to  secure  right  living,  and  regular  attendance  upon  the  services 
of  the  sanctuary.  In  1845,  James  Williams  and  W.  L.  Williams 
were  ordained  to  the  office  of  elder.  During  Drt  McKay's  min- 
istry, Margaret  Shaw  and  a  number  of  servants  were  received 
into  the  church  on  profession  of  faith,  and  Mrs.  W.  Hodges, 
Jane  Hodges,  Mrs.  Mary  McDougald,  Ranald  McMillan  and  his 
wife,  Ann  Elizabeth,  were  received  by  letter.  During  this  pas- 
torate baptism  was  administered  to  the  following  infants :  Mary 
Jane  Williams,  Mary  Eliza  Elliot,  John  Williams,  infant  of  W. 
L.  and  Ann  Williams,  Peter  McKellar  Williams,  and  Jonathan 
Evans  Elliot.  We  are  glad  to  note  some  of  these  infants  with 
us  today. 

Upon  the  retirement  of  Dr.  McKay  from  the  pastorate  in 
185 1,  the  congregation  took  immediate  steps  to  secure  Rev. 
Simeon  Colton,  D.  D.,  a  profound  scholar  and  a  teacher  of  the 
first  rank,  then  living  at  Summerville,  to  supply  the  church. 
These  efforts  were  successful.  Dr.  Colton  continued  to  serve 
the  church  for  three  years.  During  this  ministry  there  was  a 
marked  revival  among  the  colored  people,  many  of  them  being 
received  into  the  church  on  profession  of  faith.  On  September 
14,  185 1,  Mr.  J.  P.  Hodges  was  ordained  to  the  eldership,  and 
the  following  Sunday  the  congregation  elected  Ranald  McMil- 
lan, formerly  an  elder  in  Mt.  Horeb  Church,  an  elder.  Margaret 
McKethan  and  Harriet  Walker  were  received  into  the  church  on 
profession  of  faith.  Among  the  infants  baptized  were  John 
Murchison  Hodges,  William  Clarence  Hodges,  William  Allison 
Smith,  Jane  Penelope  Smith,  and  Robert  Benjamin  Smith. 

In  1854,  Rev.  D.  D.  McBryde,  a  young  licentiate,  a  graduate 
of  Davidson  College  and  Columbia  Seminary,  thoroughly  fur- 
nished for  his  work,  succeeded  Dr.  Colton,  and  continued  to 
minister  to  the  church  for  thirty-nine  years.    His  ministry  was 


Page  Eight 


far  the  longest  in  the  history  of  the  church,  and  in  many  respects 
it  was  the  most  remarkable.  From  the  beginning  of  this  min- 
istry the  church  seems  to  have  been  in  a  healthy  spiritual  condi- 
tion. There  were  constant  accessions  to  the  church.  At  almost 
every  meeting  of  session  some  one  appeared  to  confess  the  Lord 
and  seek  admission  to  the  church.  Some  of  those  connecting 
themselves  with  the  church  from  1854  to  i860  are :  Catharine 
Murphy,  Martha  K.  Williams,  Neill  S.  Stewart,  Miss  Bettie 
Saunders,  Miss  Laura  Saunders,  Miss  M.  L.  Smith,  Miss  Kate 
Smith,  Miss  H.  McK.  Williams,  E.  Jones  Williams,  R.  B.  Smith, 
Miss  Julia  T.  Williams,  Mrs.  Janet  A.  Harris,  Miss  Bella  Mc- 
Dougald,  and  Col.  Alexander  Elliot. 

In  1 861,  the  frightful  Civil  War  broke  out.  Sardis  suffered, 
as  did  all  Southern  churches.  She  was  drained  of  all  her  able- 
bodied  men.  But  throughout  this  awful  war  the  doors  of  the 
church  were  kept  open.  The  people  made  extra  sacrifices  to 
supply  the  wants  of  their  minister.  Even  when  the  war  was 
over,  the  troubles  of  the  people  were  not  ended.  They  still 
faced  poverty  and  misrule.  As  if  to  cheer  the  drooping  spirits 
of  the  people,  God  sent  a  gracious  revival,  perhaps  the  most 
gracious  in  the  history  of  the  church.  The  revival  began  in  1865, 
and  continued  well  into  the  year  1866.  Mr.  McBryde  was  as- 
sisted by  his  lifelong  friend,  Rev.  Martin  McQueen.  I  cannot 
describe  that  scene  of  grace.  Only  those  who  passed  through  it 
can  do  that.  All  I  can  do  is  to  note  some  of  the  results.  On 
May  20,  1866,  the  following  were  received  into  the  church  on 
profession  of  faith:  Sarah  C.  Smith,  J.  Ann  Walker,  Ellen 
F.  McLean,  Mattie  L.  Williams,  James  L.  Smith,  Jesse  S.  Smith, 
John  M.  Hodges,  Archibald  McLean,  Sarah  Smith,  Kate  Smith, 
Willie  Ann  Hogshead,  Margaret  J.  Byrd,  Lucy  C.  Byrd,  Martitia 
L.  McNeill,  Ida  T.  Hodges,  William  Bottom,  George  D.  Elliot, 
John  W.  McLauchlin,  Kate  McDougald,  and  James  Henry  Smith. 
On  June  17th,  the  following  were  received  on  profession  of  faith : 
Edward  Smith,  W.  L.  Smith,  John  E.  Elliot,  and  Mary  Eliza 
Elliot. 

From  the  time  of  this  gracious  revival  until  the  close  of  Mr. 
McBryde's  long  pastorate,  the  spiritual  life  of  the  church  was  in 
a  state  of  constant  ebb  and  flow.  Sometimes  the  church  was  on 
the  crest  of  the  wave,  and  again  it  would  sink  into  the  trough. 
To  give  a  detailed  history  of  this  long  pastorate  would  be  im- 


Page  Nine 


possible.  Merely  to  mention  the  names  of  those  received  into 
the  church  would  be  too  great  a  tax  on  the  hearers'  patience.  I 
shall  content  myself  with  pointing  out  a  few  of  the  times  when 
the  church  seemed  to  be  riding  the  crest  of  the  waves.  On  Oc- 
tober 8,  1869,  Miss  Caro  Smith,  John  C.  Williams,  Jr.,  were 
received  into  the  church  on  profession  of  faith.  The  following 
May,  John  C.  Williams,  Sr.,  and  Jane  E.  Elliot  were  received. 
On  May  17,  1874,  Mrs.  William  Surles,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Byrd,  Katie 
McBryde,  Maggie  McBryde,  Fannie  McBryde,  and  Katie  Elliot 
were  received.  June  4,  1884,  R.  L.  Ryburn,  Miss  L.  L.  Long, 
Miss  Julia  Sanders,  Miss  M.  J.  McBryde,  and  A.  M.  McBryde 
were  received.  January  6,  1889,  Cader  Parker,  Archie  Parker, 
Alexander  Williams,  Junius  Williams,  Everton  Wicker,  Ethel 
Wicker,  Clara  Hodges,  Janie  McBryde,  Laura  Smith,  and  Henry 
McBuie  were  received.  The  following  June,  Robert  Sanders, 
Don  McBryde,  and  Malcom  McBryde  were  received.  These  are 
only  a  few  of  those  received. 

On  May  3,  1874,  J.  S.  Smith  and  J.  E.  Elliot  were  elected 
elders,  and  J.  L.  Smith,  G.  D.  Elliot,  and  J.  M.  Hodges  were 
elected  deacons.  On  February  1,  1891,  Mr.  Cader  Parker  and 
Mr.  W.  L.  Williams  were  elected  elders,  and  Mr.  John  Williams 
and  Mr.  J.  M.  Davis,  deacons. 

Mr.  McBryde's  long  ministry  came  to  an  end  in  1892.  For  a 
short  time  the  church  was  vacant.  However,  in  1893  the  ser- 
vices of  Rev.  J.  S.  Black  were  secured.  Mr.  Black  is  too  well 
known  and  too  well  beloved  to  need  a  tribute  from  me,  and  the 
history  from  his  pastorate  forward  is  of  too  recent  a  date  to  need 
description.  Rev.  J.  S.  Black's  useful  pastorate  extended  over  a 
period  of  about  thirteen  years.  In  1906,  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  L.  A.  McLaurin.  Mr.  McLaurin  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
C.  L.  Bragaw  as  supply,  and  he  by  Rev.  M.  B.  McLauchlin,  and 
he  by  the  present  pastor  in  191 1. 

In  looking  over  the  history  of  Sardis  Church,  the  first  thing 
that  strikes  us  is  the  high  type  of  ministry  the  church  has  en- 
joyed in  the  past.  Few  churches  have  ever  had  as  able  and  as 
godly  ministers  as  those  who  have  served  Sardis  in  the  past.  All 
that  is  needed  to  prove  this  assertion  is  simply  to  call  the  roll  of 
ministers :  Colin  Mclver,  Allan  McDougald,  Evander  McNair, 
Neill  McKay,  Simeon  Colton,  D.  D.  McBryde,  J.  S.  Black,  and 
L.  A.  McLaurin. 


Page  Ten 


The  church  has  been  no  less  fortunate  in  its  officers  than  in 
its  ministers.  So  far  as  records  now  in  our  hands  show,  there 
have  been  only  seventeen  elders  to  serve  the  church.  The  list  is 
as  follows :  W.  L.  Walker,  John  McNeill,  James  A.  Thompson, 
Joel  Williams,  John  Elliot,  Henry  Elliot,  James  Williams,  W.  L. 
Williams,  Sr.,  James  P.  Hodges,  Ranald  McMillan,  J.  S.  Smith, 
J.  E.  Elliot,  W.  L.  Williams,  Jr.,  Cader  Parker,  J.  M.  Davis,  J. 
M.  Hodges,  and  Alexander  McArtan.  This  list  of  men  repre- 
sents the  highest  type  of  character  and  manhood  that  the  country 
can  afford.  There  have  been  some  notably  long  terms  of  service 
in  the  eldership,  but  perhaps  the  longest  term  of  all  is  that  of 
Mr.  J.  E.  Elliott,  who  for  forty-one  years  served  this  church  as 
elder,  and  is  now  serving  the  Church  of  the  Covenant  in  a  like 
capacity. 

Only  seven  deacons  have  served  the  church.  Until  May  3, 
1874,  the  church  had  no  deacons,  the  work  of  the  deacons  being 
performed  by  the  elders,  trustees,  and  sometimes  by  committees. 
On  May  3,  1874,  three  deacons  were  elected,  viz :  J.  L.  Smith, 
G.  D.  Elliot,  and  J.  M.  Hodges,  all  of  whom  survive  after  forty- 
two  years,  two  of  them  still  holding  the  office  of  deacon,  the  last 
named  having  been  transferred  to  the  eldership.  Since  the  elec- 
tion of  the  original  board  of  deacons,  the  following  have  been 
elected  deacons:  John  Williams,  J.  M.  Davis,  W.  M.  Walker, 
and  Jonathan  Elliot. 

Sardis  has  always  been  a  small  church  in  membership.  No 
record  in  existence  shows  a  membership  of  more  than  seventy, 
and  it  is  almost  certain  that  the  membership  never  exceeded  that 
number  at  any  one  time.  The  church  has  exerted  an  influence 
in  the  past  out  of  all  proportion  to  its  numbers. 

Two  things  in  the  history  of  the  church  deserve  special 
mention : 

1.  The  care  the  session  of  the  church  has  always  taken  in 
seeing  that  the  youth  of  the  congregation  had  proper  religious 
instruction.  One  of  the  very  first  things  that  the  session  did  was 
to  organize  the  young  people  of  the  congregation  into  special 
classes  for  the  study  of  the  Catechism  and  Scripture,  assigning 
tasks,  and  directing  the  pastor  to  make  the  examinations  and 
report  back  to  session.  On  the  day  previous  to  the  day  set  for 
the  examinations  the  session  again  reminded  the  pastor  of  the 
examinations.   The  pastor  at  a  later  date  reported  that  the  exam- 


Pa^  Eleven 


inations  had  been  eminently  satisfactory.  On  March  21,  1834, 
during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Allan  McDougald,  the  Sardis  Sun- 
day School  Society  was  formed.  The  object  of  the  society  was 
the  study  of  the  Bible.  Any  one  paying  ten  cents  could  become 
a  member.  The  money  thus  collected  was  used  in  purchasing  a 
library  to  aid  in  the  work  of  the  society.  There  was  a  president, 
vice-president,  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  president  was  to  act 
as  superintendent,  the  vice-president  as  assistant  superintendent, 
the  secretary  as  librarian,  and  the  treasurer  was  to  take  charge 
of  all  funds.  John  C.  Williams  was  elected  president;  John 
Thompson,  vice-president,  Joel  Williams,  secretary,  and  Henry 
Elliot,  treasurer.  And  from  that  day  to  this  the  session  of  the 
church  has  carefully  provided  for  the  religious  instruction  of  the 
youth  of  the  congregation. 

2.  The  other  matter  of  note  was  the  interest  the  session  of 
the  church  always  took  in  the  slaves.  On  October  6,  1817,  just 
a  year  after  the  church  was  organized,  the  question  of  masters 
presenting  their  infant  slaves  for  baptism  having  been  raised, 
the  following  action  was  taken :  "Resolved,  That  in  relation 
to  this  subject,  the  Moderator  be,  and  hereby  is,  authorized  to 
adopt  such  measures  as  his  own  discretion  may  point  out  to  him, 
and  he  is  hereby  required,  at  some  future  meeting  of  the  session, 
to  make  report  of  the  success  of  such  measures  as  he  may  think 
proper  to  adopt/'  In  this  case  the  theory  was  that  the  master 
stood  in  the  place  of  a  father  to  his  infant  slaves,  and  should 
present  them  for  baptism.  On  March  1,  1818,  Mr.  Mclver  re- 
ported that  owing  to  his  limited  means  of  mingling  with  the  peo- 
ple, that  he  had  accomplished  little.  The  session  granted  him 
more  time  and  again  directed  him  to  report.  On  March  7,  1819, 
we  find  the  following  record :  "Resolved  unanimously,  That  this 
session  will  exert  themselves  with  the  utmost  vigilance  to  dis- 
countenance and  prevent  every  species  of  cruelty  to  those  held  in 
servitude  by  the  members  of  this  church ;  and  to  put  the  discipline 
of  this  church  rigorously  in  force  against  all  offenders  of  this 
description."  Nothing  could  have  been  more  creditable  than  this 
action.  At  a  very  early  period  a  Sunday  School  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  the  negroes  was  established.  The  original  roll  and  the 
rules  governing  the  school,  in  the  handwriting  of  Mr.  Henry 
Elliot,  has  come  down  to  us,  and  is  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  W.  L. 
Williams,  an  honored  elder  in  this  church.   Provision  was  always 


Page  Twelve 


made  in  the  church  for  the  slaves,  and  they  were  encouraged  to 
connect  themselves  with  the  church.  When  they  came  before 
the  session,  master  and  slave  stood  exactly  on  the  same  footing. 
A  single  extract  from  the  minutes  will  show  this.  October  21, 
i860:  "Col.  Alexander  Elliot,  Calvin,  Henry  and  Charles,  ser- 
vants of  Col.  Kenneth  Murchison ;  Amy  and  Flora,  servants  of 
the  heirs  of  Wm.  T.  Smith ;  Sophia,  servant  of  Peter  McLean  ; 
and  Henderson,  servant  of  J.  P.  Hodges,  were  examined  and 
received  into  the  church." 

No  history  of  Sardis  Church  would  be  complete  without  some 
notice  of  the  church  buildings  occupied  by  the  congregation. 
Sardis  Church  has  occupied  three  church  buildings  in  the  past 
century.  The  first  church  was  across  the  ravine  from  what  is 
now  Old  Sardis  Church,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  This  building, 
erected  largely  by  slave  labor,  near  the  bridge  across  Little  River, 
so  as  to  be  convenient  to  both  sides  of  the  river,  was  originally 
known  as  Hodges'  Meeting  House,  because  it  was  located  on  the 
land  and  near  the  home  of  Mr.  Philemon  Hodges.  Many  people 
suppose  that  this  church  was  built  of  logs,  but  that  is  hardly  prob- 
able. The  people!  were  building  frame  houses  for  themselves, 
and  it  is  hardly  probable  that  they  would  have  built  a  log  house 
to  the  name  of  the  Lord  their  God.  Furthermore,  an  incident 
that  has  come  down  to  us  from  the  early  days  proves  that  the 
church  had  glass  windows.  If  it  had  been  a  log  church,  it  would 
have  had  board  shutters.  The  date  of  the  erection  of  this  first 
house  of  worship  is  perhaps  lost  for  all  time.  It  was  clearly 
built  long  before  the  church  was  organized.  Just  one  year  after 
the  organization  of  the  church  the  session  took  note  of  the  de- 
cayed condition  of  the  church,  and  passed  an  order  directing  the 
Moderator  to  consult  Messrs.  Munroe  and  Phillips,  styled  by 
the  session  "approved  architects, "  about  the  necessary  repairs. 
Whether  the  contemplated  repairs  were  made  or  not  there  is  no 
record  to  show. 

The  second  church  is  what  we  now  know  as  Old  Sardis.  It 
was  probably  erected  about  the  year  1830,  perhaps  a  few  years 
later,  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Allan  McDougald.  Dr.  John 
A.  McKay,  who  was  born  in  1828,  probably  the  only  man  now 
living  who  knew  personally  and  heard  preach  the  two  first  pastors 
of  Sardis  Church,  says  that  he  remembers  attending  worship  at 
Sardis  with  his  mother  in  the  large  new  church  when  Allan 

Page  Thirteen 


McDougald  was  pastor.  It  is  to  this  old  building  that  most 
memories  cling,  in  which  most  of  the  souls  entering  the  kingdom 
through  Sardis  Church  were  born.  Xo  wonder  the  hearts  of 
the  people  turn  to  the  old  church ! 

The  third  building  is  the  beautiful  new  structure  in  which 
we  are  assembled  today,  and  which  on  the  morrow  we  hope  to 
dedicate  to  God.  In  the  erection  of  this  house  most  of  the 
members  have  wrought  nobly  and  unselfishly,  making  many  sac- 
rifices to  build  this  house  to  the  glory  of  God.  But,  while  all 
have  done  well,  special  mention  should  be  made  of  and  special 
credit  bestowed  upon  two,  Mr.  J.  M.  Hodges  and  Mr.  John 
Williams,  the  active  members  of  the  building  committee,  who 
bore  the  burden  of  building  and  did  most  of  the  work. 

Yesterday  Sardis  Church  closed  a  hundred  years  of  life  and 
service.  God  grant  that  she  may  continue  to  live  through  the 
coming  century  and  have  a  fuller  life  and  do  a  nobler  work ! 


Page  Fotirteen 


